Swiss cancels flights as pilots strike

26 September 2006

Swiss International Air Lines, now part of Lufthansa has cancelled flights on Tuesday due to a strike by its pilot union. The one-day strike involves short-haul Avro airliners flying European routes, mainly from Zurich. A total of 34 flights have been cancelled, according to Reuters news agency.

Swiss said in a statement the strike had begun at 0330 GMT and that it expected flight delays and cancellations throughout the day.

The Swiss Pilots Association is one of two pilots’ unions at the airline and has 260 members. They called on its members to conduct a one-day strike on Monday after the airline failed to meet its calls for better salary and benefits.

The airline said Swiss Pilots Association had “abandoned the option of dialogue unexpectedly and without putting detailed demands on the table.”

The pilots union wants their salaries brought closer into line with colleagues flying long-haul flights.

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The larger union, Aeopers, representing as many as 750 long-haul pilots, was not affected by the strike.

Swiss International Air Lines was also a multiple award winner at the recent gala ceremony of the World Travel Awards in the Turks and Caicos islands.——-